Fairytale of New York
by jemster23
Summary: Betrayed,heartbroken and devastated,Bella Swan never planned on falling in love again.Fed up with her life she makes the trip to New York to see an old friend.What happens when a surprise encounter with a handsome stranger on the subway changes her plan?
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** Betrayed, heartbroken and devastated, Bella Swan never planned on falling in love again. Fed up and frustrated, she makes the trip to New York to visit a old friend. What happens when a surprise encounter with a handsome stranger on the subway changes her plans?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight; all respective characters belong to S Meyer.

**Authors note:** Just to warn you this story isn't for Jacob lovers. As you will tell from the first chapter he's a dirty dog, so stay away now if you don't like it!

* * *

Our wedding was supposed to be in July. July 26th to be exact.

It was suppose to be the happiest day of my life. I couldn't have been more prepared; The venue was booked, the cars were hired. I'd picked out my flowers and chosen the dresses for my bridesmaids. I'd even been to my final dress fitting with over 3 months to go.

And then my life fell apart the day I discovered my cheating, lying, two timing ex-fiancé screwing another woman in our bed.

I could tell you I expected it, that I was suspicious of him, but that would be a complete lie. I was flabbergasted, paralysed, dumbstruck. I hadn't seen it coming.

Jacob and I had been together for six years—six very happy ones, if you ask me. He was my first everything; my first kiss, my first serious boyfriend. My first everything if you know what I mean...

We met six years ago at a student bar close to the university. I'd been chatting away with my room-mate, Angela when a tall, dark haired guy leaning against the bar caught my eye. I was far too shy to make a move so I stayed besides my friends and admired him from a far for much of the night before he eventually came over and introduced himself.

"Hey," he'd had to shout over the music

"Hi," I responded shyly, my heart thudded as I stared up at the handsome man towering over me.

"Can I buy you a drink?" He offered. His smiled blinded me and I nodded back.

"I'm Jacob by the way," he said.

"Bella," I replied, taking his hand in mine.

We spent the next few hours talking and getting to know one another. I'd always been shy and uncomfortable around the opposite sex but with Jacob I felt something instant, something exciting which I'd never experienced before. Of course it helped that he was gorgeous and he had this gorgeous dark brown, almost black, kind of tousled hair, and incredibly rich, deep brown eyes. Not to mention, that he was smart, genuinely nice and most importantly he made me laugh.

Jacob swept me off my feet, quite literally and by the end of the night I was smitten. We went on our first date the next night, two weeks later he called me his girlfriend, and a month after that he told me he loved me for the first time.

It was a perfect romance.

Jacob was everything I wanted in a boyfriend and more. He was cute, funny, my family loved him and he was incredibly thoughtful. We stayed together throughout our time at university and when we graduated and found jobs in the city we made the move down to London together. We rented a small, poky, flat on the outskirts of the city. It was nothing flashy or extravagant but it was ours, and we were happy.

Living together was comfortable, 'as easy as breathing' as Jake had innocently joked one night when we were sitting at home watching a movie we'd rented with a Chinese take out and a few beers. Sure we had silly little disagreements and the occasional argument from time to time about money and other day to day issues but we always managed to work through our problems.

The next logic step was marriage and at a time when most of my friends from university were marrying off left, right and centre, I couldn't deny that the thought of marriage had started to appeal to me. However Jake had been in no great hurry to settle down which many of our coupled up friends seemed to find strange. At friends weddings I had heard the sad whispers and been on the receiving end of many pitying glances.

"You're not getting any younger you know, Bella?" They'd joked, but I ignored the pitying looks and snide remarks from Jacob's college buddies about him ever getting round to proposing by claiming that I didn't want to be attached to the old ball and chain when we had years ahead of us to settle down.

Sure, I had been a little hurt that he was taking so long to propose but we were happy and in love and I was sure that marriage would come eventually when the time was right.

And sure enough that time came on our 5th anniversary when Jake took me out to dinner at a very expensive restaurant in town and asked me to be his wife. At the time I had been overjoyed, happier than I ever thought possible, but not six months later my world came crumbling down around me.

I can still remember the day I caught them as if it was only yesterday. Call it intuition but I had known something was wrong as soon as I came home early from work and found the front door unlocked, and clothes littered around the living room.

Time stopped. I stood still, paralysed for I don't know how long not thinking, not even feeling anything. I wasn't sure I was even breathing at that point. I heard the creaking, heard the moans and the sighs before I finally snapped out of my haze and went marching into our bedroom fully prepared for the sight which greeted me.

Except no amount of forewarning can prepare you to see you boyfriend shagging another woman in your bed. For a moment I tried to wrap my mind around what I was seeing. My stomach was in knots,. I felt sick. For a moment I really thought that the sandwich I'd had for lunch was about to work it's way back out.

Moments passed, I opened my mouth to say something but no words came out. I couldn't seem to get my mouth to cooperate with me. I was so shocked that I could hardly find the words, but I must have made a sound because they both looked up at me, their eyes wide and panicked.

"Shit!" Jake exclaimed as he frantically started scurrying around the flat trying to find his clothes, while whatever her name was slopped off into the bathroom.

In the meantime I had stayed frozen to the spot. I felt like my whole chest had been hollowed out. I couldn't breathe. I felt numb, like someone had just smacked me across the face.

"How long has this been going on?" I managed to say when Jake had his clothes back on and had finally turned to face me.

He stood motionless, his eyes unable to meet mine. "Uh.I ... a ... well . . ." he mumbled.

"HOW LONG?" I demanded.

"A few months," he said sheepishly.

"A few months?" I shrieked. "We only got engaged six months ago!"

"Calm down," Jake reached out to touch me but I pushed him away.

"Calm down! You want me to calm down! Have you lost your fucking mind?" I'd seethed. "You bring her into our house, into our bed and you expect me to calm down. Have you lost your mind?"

"I know this is bad Bella, but..." he started to say before I cut him off.

"But what, Jake? I planned my life with you. I gave you everything. We were getting married for Christ's sake! How could you do this to me?" I choked as I felt anger and hurt rise in my throat.

After an uncomfortable moment, Jake filled the silence. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way, Bella, but maybe its for the best, really. It saves us a lot of bother later. It wouldn't have worked out anyway."

My jaw dropped. I stared at him for a long moment. "It wouldn't have worked out?" I said in disbelief. "How can you say that?"

"I'm not the only one at fault here, Bella," he said seriously. "You're hardly blameless."

I blinked several times, barely believing what I was hearing. Was I really hearing right? Was he really trying to turn things around on me?

"What the hell is that suppose to mean?"

"The wedding was more your idea than mine. You pushed me into it. If you hadn't pushed me so hard then maybe things would be different," he accused.

I stared at him for a long moment. I couldn't even find the words to respond, but when I did my anger kicked in in full force. "Are you fucking serious? Are you really trying to turn this around on me?"

"Bella," Jake said slowly as though he were talking to a child. "I'm sorry. I screwed up, I admit it. What else do you want me to say?"

A thousand things were racing through my mind, but I couldn't seem to get any of them out. How could he have stopped loving me? How could he have cheated on me and have the balls to accuse it of being my fault? And more importantly what was I supposed to do now?

I wanted to stay and have it out with him but the truth was that there was nothing else that he could say. I'd heard more than enough from him already and I told him as much.

"Enough! I can't listen to this any more." I tried my hardest to choke back my tears. "You've got an hour to take as much of your stuff as possible. I don't want you to still be here by the time I return."

I'd grabbed my bag and then I turned and walked out the door. I held off until I made it out of the door before collapsing back against it and sobbing uncontrollably.

I'm sure people think I'm crazy for not knowing what was going on, but sometimes you don't even see what is right in front of you, no matter how obvious it is to those around you. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and looking back now, there were a million and one signs to warn me that something wasn't quite right. We had been fighting, he'd been moody, tired and irratable. Then there was the cancelled diner dates, the last minute business trips out of town and all of those late nights at the office, that I stupidly convinced myself was going towards paying for our honeymoon.

And finally there was the sex or lack there of.

Jacob and I had always had a great sex life, or at least we had to start with. It had only started to decrease in frequency around the time Jacob got his promotion at work. It wasn't exactly like he refused to sleep with me. It was just that he always seemed too busy or asleep when I was ready to go.

At the time I was more than a little disheartened but I tried not to take it to heart. Jake had a lot going on at work and with a wedding to organise it was understandable that he was a little distracted. Besides, I figured that once things settles down we would soon be back to normal. I could almost kick myself at how naïve I had been and even now it made me feel physically sick when I thought back to the numerous times I had tried and failed to gain his attention.

Even when I'd pulled out the big guns, slinking into the bedroom in a black lacy bra and matching panties, feeling utterly ridiculous it had no affect what so ever. I cringed just thinking about it now; How I'd paused, unsure what to say or do next. How I'd gulped and tried leaning seductively into the door frame, wobbling a bit in the ridiculous shoes I was convinced would complete the look. I mean no man could turn down a woman in heels, or so my friend Jessica had told me.

It turns out she was wrong as Jake's unenthusiastic response had proven.

"You'd better put something on or you're going to be cold in that, Bella. And you know we are trying to cut down on the heating bill," he'd said, briefly glancing up from the TV for a second before refocussing his attention on whatever it was he was watching.

"There's those lovely fleece pyjamas my mother got you for Christmas last year in the second draw down," he'd added helpfully.

Humiliation complete, I'd heaved a sigh, stomped back to the bathroom, and changed into the biggest, oldest and ugliest T-shirt I could find. There was no way in hell I was putting on those hideous pyjamas no matter how warm they apparently were.

Jacob hadn't even look up when I'd slopped into the bedroom and threw myself into bed, huffing and puffing pointedly. Even that hadn't got his attention which summed up our relationship perfectly.

At the time I'd took the rejection to heart. I mean wasn't it a proven fact that guys think of sex every 7 seconds? Apparently not my boyfriend!

My weight was something that had never particularly concerned me before, but when your fiancé stops having sex with you, every pound seems to count and with the wedding dress fitting booked for a few weeks later I had felt a little insecure. When I'd mentioned the few extra pounds to Jake he had simple shrugged and told me that I was being ridiculous. That should have pleased me and it would have, had he not gone on to say that if I was so bothered about it then I should start taking a few extra night classes at the gym.

It was hardly the reassurance I was looking for and thinking about it now he was probably hoping to have some extra time with his bit on the side.

For the first few days after Jake left I had been devastated. I was numb. I didn't know what to do with myself; I didn't leave the apartment, I didn't sleep, I barely functioned. However, instead of hitting the drink as a few of my friends suggested, I turned to food for comfort; Ben and Jerry's to be exact while pondering where the hell it had all gone so wrong.

I tried to keep my mind off of Jacob, really I did, but no matter how hard I tried I just couldn't stop reminiscing about happier times. We'd been so in love, or so _I'd_ thought. He was supposed to be the man I married, the man who fathered my children and the man who I grew old and grey with. I thought we would be together forever. Instead, he'd ripped my heart out, telling me that I just wasn't right for him.

How can I not be right for him?

The worst of it was that, even though he had taken out my heart and crushed it, my feelings for him didn't disappear. Not by a long shot. It sickened me that they remained, but like my mother told me,"you cant switch your feelings off over night."

I should know, I tried my hardest to forget about Jake but no matter how much he had hurt me, it was a lot easier said than done to hate someone you've spent over 6 years of your life with.

In the meantime I did what I did every other morning; I got up, I showered, I put on my make up, I picked out an outfit and I went to work. I couldn't let my students suffer because my personal life was in ruins. I owed it to them to hold it together and be professional and get them through their exams. In the weeks that passed I threw myself into work, anything to stop me from wallowing in sadness and self pity.

And in time it got easier; I didn't think of Jake every day. I didn't reminisce about the happy times we had shared, and most importantly I didn't imagine a future with him any more.

That was six month ago- the longest six months of my life. I'd go as far to say it had been the worst 6 months of my life but I was slowly adapting to my life.

Some days were better than others. Today had been one of those days where everything and anything had gone wrong. I slept in, I missed my train, I was late for work and all day my students had tested my patience. When I got home I was in need of a familiar, friendly voice to cheer me up, so I picked up the phone to call my friend, Angela whom I'd shared a house with during my time at university.

She had relocated to the States three years ago when she had been offered her dream job at an art gallery in New York. Since she made the move across the pond I had only seen her a handful of times when she would come home for the holidays, but despite the distance we kept in touch regularly through emails, letters and the occasional long distance phone call. I missed her terribly but she had certainly done well for herself and last year she had worked her way up to curator.

"Hey Bella," Angela's cheerful voice greeted me down the other end of the line.

"Hey Ang. You're not busy are you?" I asked. She was always so busy rushing around sorting out one thing or another that I worried about taking up too much of her time.

"I'm never too busy for you, you know that. How are you?" she asked.

"I'm good thanks," I tried to sound cheerful, but despite the thousand of miles between us Angela still knew me better than anyone. She saw beyond the front I put on and even over the phone she could tell when I was not being quite honest with her.

"How are you really?" She asked knowingly.

"I'm okay, really," I tried to reassure her but she saw right through me.

"No you're not. I know you're still hurting, but all this moping around is not doing you any good. I'm worried about you, Bella." She sounded concerned.

I hated to hear her worrying and I quickly tried to reassure her. "Don't be. I'm doing okay."

"That's crap and you know it. Listen I have an idea. You have the whole summer off, why don't you come stay with me?"

"Come to New York?"

"Please Bella. You've been promising to come visit me for so long now. It will be such fun and it's just what you need to forget about that pig of an ex. You need a break. Why not get away from it all?" she encouraged.

I thought about it for a moment. Angela was right. It was time to move on and move forward with my life. No more staying at home wallowing over Jacob Black. A holiday would be good for me and who knows maybe a change of scene and a little time away to myself was just what I needed to get my life back on track. It sounded very tempting and deciding I had nothing left to loose I agreed. "Okay then, lets do this."

"Really?" She sounded hopeful.

"Yes, you're right, a change of scene is just what I need. Besides, it's been way too long since I last saw you."

"Excellent! We will have so much fun," Angela said enthusiastically before she then went on to tell me of all the amazing places she planned on taking me to visit during my trip.

We carried on talking, laughing and making plans, and an hour later when I hung up I was already feeling more excited and hopeful than I had in months.

* * *

It all came together surprisingly quickly after that. I booked my flights, I sorted out my visa and so, two and a half months later, just 10 days shy of the day I should have been getting married, her I am, boarding a plane heading to a city I've never even visited before to visit an old friend I haven't seen in ages.

Already, I felt like I was on the verge of something life changing.

New York here I come..

* * *

**Authors note:** **Sorry the first chapter was a little angsty to start but it will get better from here! Including an encounter with a certain handsome stranger on the subway. I bet you can guess who that is?**

**In the meantime I'd love to hear what you think so if you could find the time to review I would really appreciate it:)**

**Me x**


	2. Chapter 2

******Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, blah, blah, blah.**

******A/N: Thanks to everyone who review this story so far. You're kind words mean the world to me:)**

* * *

Thankfully the seven and a half hour flight from London Heathrow to New York JFK was no where near as tiring or boring as I thought it would be, and by the time we landed I was so excited be seeing Angela that I thought I would burst.

After I spent the best part of an half hour queuing through immigration and collected my baggage, I looked around the arrival lounge hoping to see Angela, who'd promised she would be there to greet me.

"Bella! Over here!" A wonderfully familiar voice called out and I was relieved to see her waiting for me at the far side of the room.

She was grinning widely and waving me over to her and her enthusiasm was contagious. I couldn't hide the wide smile that pulled on my lips as I grabbed a firm hold of my holdall and suitcase and excitedly made my way over to her.

She looked so very different from the last time I'd seen her. Her hair was the same but her style had certain changed. At university Angela herself would have been the first to say that her style was more laid back and casual. However today, she looked every bit the professional, dressed in a smart black knee length dress with a funky scarf that reminded me of the quirky art student I had known all those years ago.

It took me a few moments to get around all of the people gathered arround in arrivals before I finally reached her.

"Welcome to New York!" Angela exclaimed excitedly, as she drew me into her arms and hugged me tightly.

"Thanks. It's great to finally be here." I replied, feeling a little overwhelming already.

"Here, let me have one of those off you," she said gesturing towards my luggage. "You must be exhausted. How was your flight?"

"It was good," I answered honestly. "I managed to get a few hours sleep so it wasn't too bad."

"I'm glad. Now lets get going, we have so much to catch up on!"

She led the way outside of the airport before effortlessly hailing a taxi to take us to her apartment. I piled into a sleek yellow taxi and we began to make our way towards where Angela's apartment was located on the upper east side.

Apparently Manhattan was quite a distance away from the airport and it took a lot longer than I expected before I finally got my first glimpse of the the famous New York skyline. My breath caught in my throat; It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. Sure, I'd seen it in film, in photos, and on the TV but nothing could compare to being here and seeing it for myself.

For the first time it hit me- that I was really here.

"It's beautiful, right?" Angela asked. She squeezed my hand and smiled across at me but I couldn't force myself to look away from the spectacular landscape for very long.

"It's incredible" I whispered back mesmerised.

We drove into the heart of the city and as the taxi continued to weave it's way in and out of main roads and side streets, I could only stare out of the window at the city streaming by me. Waves of yellow taxis, hot dogs stands on every corner, over excited tourists taking photos, and business people trying to flag down rides home. It was both overwhelming and incredibly exciting!

Unfortunately we hit some pretty horrific traffic along the way, but half an hour later we pulled up to the front of Angela's apartment.

"It's a small place," she said apologetically as she led the way inside. "But it's within walking distance to the museum and the rent is cheap. Well, cheap for New York, I guess."

I looked around the tiny one bed apartment and I was impressed. Sure it was a little on the small size and it wasn't especially lavish or showy, but it was cosy, and it was in the midst of Manhattan and had a spectacular view of the city.

"It's perfect Ang." I told her. "I don't even know how to thank you for letting me stay with you."

"Nonsense, Bella. Make yourself at home. I was thinking you would want to get settled first but how about we go out for some dinner after you've unpacked?" she asked.

"That sounds lovely," I answered as I settled my bags down on the floor.

An hour later, I unpacked and quickly freshened up before heading out for some dinner at a little Italian restaurant a few blocks away.

"It's one of my favourite restaurants in New York" Ang said, cheerfully as we waited at the entrance to be seated.

There, we ate the most incredible spaghetti carbonara and cheesy garlic bread, accompanied with some delicious Italian wine in between reminiscing about our uni days and filing in the gaps of our lives since we had last seen one another.

Angela didn't mention Jake but I knew it was coming. We had just finished our deserts when she reached across the table and gave my hand a gentle squeeze.

"Are you ready to talk about him yet?" She asked sympathetically.

"I suppose now is a good a time as any," I attempted to sound casual. I don't think I quite managed it.

"Good riddance is what I say." Angela said sternly. "You deserve so much more than Jacob. He wasn't good enough for you. I've always said that."

"Thanks," I said, sniffing back a tear or two at my friends kind words. "Obviously it still hurts a lot but I think I'm ready to move on. It just so frustrating that I didn't see it sooner. I should have seen it coming." I confessed.

"Well, how were you supposed to know?" Angela asked.  
"I just should have. All the signs were there, I just ignored them. But enough about Jacob Black. I'm done talking about him any more. I've wasted enough time on him already."

"I'm glad." Angela said sending me an encouraging smile. "That's the best news I've heard all day."

"Lets make a toast," she said cheerfully, sounding a little tipsy from the bottle and a half of wine we'd already drunk.

"To your visit to New York. And for forgetting all about that low life ex fiancé!"

I held my glass up and clinked it against hers.

"And here's to meeting hot new men too" she added, giggling as I took a sip of my wine.

When I'd placed my wine glass back on the table I gave her a weary look.

"In case you've forgotten, I just got out of a six year relationship with a guy I was supposed to be marrying. I'm not exactly on the lookout for another boyfriend. Besides, I'm only in New York for four weeks."

"Oh rubbish," she said, waving her hands dismissively. Clearly I wasn't getting through to her.

"I mean it Ang, I can't … not yet...it's too soon. I'm not ready."

"Bella you are. You just don't know it yet. And when the time is right you'll know." She said, sending me a sneaky smile that told me she was up to something.

"Whatever you say," I sighed, and took a large sip of my wine.

One last drink quickly turned into two and before I knew it another couple of hours had passed before Angela and I staggered out of the restaurant and made our way back to her apartment. I fell asleep that night, thanks to my jet lag and the three bottles of wine we had consumed while catching up and discussing the exciting days ahead of me.

It was the perfect start to the holiday.

* * *

My first few days in New York went smoothly as I tried to find my feet in a foreign city. Unfortunately Angela was crazy busy working on a charity benefit that the museum was hosting at the end of the week so she was unable to show me round the city herself. She was incredibly apologetic and promised to make it up to me over the weekend but I honestly didn't mind. It was actually really liberating to walk around the city alone with not a care in the world.

The hustle and bustle of Manhattan wasn't unlike that of London and I liked it that way because it stopped me from having too much time on my own to think over things. I could almost forget that somewhere thousands of miles away Jake even existed.

I tried not to think about him very often and instead I focused on making the most of my time in New York. After all this trip was suppose to be a fresh start for me. No longer would I be the shy pushover who got taken for granted and played like a fool; It was the start of a stronger, more confident woman, taking control and getting on with living life to the fullest.

Manhattan was everything I expected it to be and more and my first few days were spent doing all of the obvious touristy things there was to do in New York: I experienced the craziness of Times Square, I took the ferry across to Liberty Island to see the Statue of Liberty. I visited the Empire State Building and explored Central Park on a sunny day. I even tried to open my mind to a bit of culture by visiting both the MOMA and the Metropolitan Museum. And to top it all off yesterday I finally got round to doing a bus tours of the city.

I loved every second of it. The city really excited me and the people were a big part of that. All the New Yorkers I met were nowhere near as pretentious and stuck up as I had wrongly assumed they'd be. In fact, everyone was very helpful, and whenever I was stuck or lost there was always someone around to point me in the right direction.

No stay in New York would be complete with out a little overindulging and today I couldn't resist the urge to indulge in New York's other famous attraction: Shopping!

I started off the day with a trip to Tiffany's and some of the other exclusive designer stores on 5th Avenue. I didn't stay there long; I felt a bit of a fraud. Sure, I was no Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman but those places were still pretty intimidating, not to mention way out of my price range. I had a quick browse around before I went off in search of Macy's and some of the other more reasonably priced stores where Angela suggested I would pick up a few bargains.

Eventually, when I'd had enough shopping for one day I decided it was time to think about heading back. Luckily, the subway wasn't far away and I manoeuvred my way through the packed out station to begin my journey back to Angela's.

Despite being here a few days, it was all still very confusing to me and I probably epitomized the stereotypical lost tourist when I stopped inside the station and pulled out my ridiculously large map and tried to figure out where the hell I was going.

I'd never really had a very strong sense of direction; it had taken me two years to master the London underground tube system, and even then I avoided taking the tube if I could. There was always something going wrong with it. Not to mention it was always overcrowded, noisy and never particularly clean.

The subway was just as busy and overcrowded but at least things seemed to run a little bit more smoothly over here. It took me a few minutes but eventually when I'd figured out where I was meant to be going I bought my ticket and made my way through the ticket barrier and headed to the correct platform.

It was rush hour and the platform was heaving with businessmen in suites, college students and my fellow overexcited tourists. There had to be at least 100 people waiting for the next train, which meant it would be interesting to see everyone try to cram on board when the next train arrived. According to the signboard ahead it wasn't due to arrive until another five minutes, so I took a seat on the nearby bench and pulled out my book to pass the time.

The station was stuffy and humid as I sat waiting, so I was relieved to hear the sound of the train approaching a few minutes later. Slipping my book into my bag, I manoeuvred my way through everyone to get as close as I could to the nearest set of doors. Unfortunately the carriage was already half full and I jostled for position in front of the still closed train doors. Eventually both sets of doors finally opened and passengers began pushing their way onto the over crowded train.

I was waiting patiently at the side when a movement at the end of the platform caught my attention. I glanced across and without meaning to noticed a beautiful man who was making his way towards me. He was tall, comfortably over six feet,with broad shoulders, a long straight nose, perfect kissable lips, fair skin, and the kind of perfectly chiselled features that you would expect to see on a Michelangelo statue.

His eyes were downcast but I found myself wishing that he'd look up so that I could see the colour of his eyes. And don't even get me started on his hair; It was the most unusual shade of brown, with flashes of bronze and gold through it. It was styled in the most perfect, chaotic mess. Or perhaps he was just one of those guys who went for the unkempt look. Either way it suited him and I couldn't take my eyes off him.

I was wishfully dreaming away when suddenly his gaze turned toward me and the most stunning green eyes I had ever seen met mine. My heart stopped beating and I could feel my cheeks heat up in it's tell tale blush at being caught ogling him. I looked away sharply and forced myself to focus on getting on the train, but it was a harder task than I thought as more and more people started pushing to get on board. I didn't seem to be getting anywhere and more commuters seemed to appear from nowhere and tried to get on board.

Angela told me that I had to be fearless and just force myself on board like everybody else, but that just wasn't me. I preferred to wait my turn. However, the longer I waited, the more impatient I became. I was just about to give up and hold out for the next train when I noticed the gorgeous guy from earlier step forward, blocking path of the other commuters. I stared up at him in surprise as he gestured for me to go through.

From a distance he was gorgeous but up close he was literally breathtaking. As in, I had to take several deep breaths in order to steady myself. His eyelashes were uncommonly long and dark and with the exception of a tiny scar on his forehead he was without flaw. His eyes, I decided were the most unusual shade of green I had ever seen. The colour of emeralds, flecked with gold and hazel. Odd but unmistakably beautiful.

I knew I was staring but I couldn't seen to force myself to look away from him. Besides, I figured that the dark haired Adonis in front of me was probably used to it. And if the crooked smile that was playing on his face was anything to go by then he knew I was blatantly checking him out.

"After you," he insisted. The minute he spoke I was gone. His voice was beautiful, and unique, with a sexy edge to it.

The tall, handsome man before me smiled again and I couldn't help the blush that stained my cheeks again. I found it hard to look away from his piercing eyes, but when someone cleared their throat behind me I quickly came back to reality.

Realising that I had been caught staring yet again, I ducked my head. I was too embarrassed to face him again as I muttered a shy "thanks" before hurrying inside the carriage.

I was still busy thinking about the handsome stranger when the train began moving. I didn't have a chance to grab a hold of rail in time and when the train shot forward suddenly I lost my balance and fell forward. I was sure I would have fallen to the ground, most likely taking a few unsuspecting passengers with me, if not for the strong arms that quickly wrapped around my waist and pulled me back upright.

Once I had straightened myself out I tentatively turned around to thank my saviour but all of my words melted away when he of the wonderful voice and gorgeous green eyes appeared.

"Are you okay?" he asked. He was so tall I had to lift my face to meet his eyes.

Swallowing, I said hoarsely, "Yes. Thank you very much for your help." I murmured, feeling my cheeks colour yet again.

He was still gazing down at me in amusement. Probably because he thought I would do something stupid like fall over again**.**

"You're welcome. First time in New York?" He asked knowingly

"What gave it away?" I asked smiling.

"Besides the map," he laughed, pointing at the now crumpled up map I was clutching in my hand. "It's not hard to miss." He grinned a wonderfully crooked grin that did strange things to my insides.

"Yeah, I'm your typical tourist," I laughed and shook my head.

"And you're English?" he surmised.

"Guilty as charged," I replied. Again I was grinning like an idiot, but he seemed to be smiling back. Normally I was never this comfortable with strangers but there was something about him that put me at ease instantly.

"I'm Edward by the way." He smiled softly and held his hand out for me to shake.

"Bella," I replied and barely stifled a sigh as his warm fingers closed around mine.  
"It's nice to meet you, Bella," he said. His accent turned my name into something else entirely; something not unpleasant. I went to remove my hand from his and was surprised when he held onto my fingers for a moment longer than necessary.

"So Bella, what brings you to New York?" Edward asked after a brief moment of silence. "Your typical holiday?"

"I'm actually visiting a friend." I said and quickly explained that how Angela and I had stayed in touch ever since she moved across the pond.

"So, are you here on your own?" I heard hesitation and interest in his voice and it made me feel hopeful. Perhaps I wasn't the only one who felt such a strong reaction.

"Yeah, it's just me," I said blushing again. What was it about this guy that threw me off so easily? I couldn't stop blushing like a school girl. It was embarrassing.

"And what do you think of the city so far?" Edward asked smiling.

"I love it," I answered, happily moving the conversation on easily. "It's exactly how I imagined it to be. And everyone's been so helpful and friendly."

Back on the tube in London it was like there was some unwritten rule that says you don't speak to anyone else unless it was absolutely necessary or there was some dire emergency. But I quickly forgot about offending anyone else around me with Edward sat next to me. Besides, he seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say. As we continued down the line Edward and I continued to talk and get to know one another better. A few stops passed and the train emptied and we found two seats next to one another.

We spoke about our backgrounds, the schools and universities we went to and our families. I learnt that Edward was 26, a lawyer who'd lived in New York all of his life. He talked about his family a lot which I found endearing. I learnt that his father, Carlisle, was a successful surgeon at one of the city's top hospitals, and that his mother, Esme was a renowned interior designer. He was the middle of their three children and he talked with great amusement about his elder brother, Emmett, who was a bit of a joker. He was forever playing tricks on Edward and his younger sister, who by all accounts was a force to be reckoned with.

In return I told him more about my home back in England and my mother, Renee and my father, Charlie. I talked about how I was a high school English teacher and how I had come to New York on a whim after Angela persuaded me to come for a long overdue visit. I told him about my interests and hobbies and how I was ridiculously clumsy. The only thing I didn't mention was Jake for fear it would dampen my mood.

Not only was Edward gorgeous and kind; he was charming, intelligent and funny. I couldn't believe how much I enjoyed talking to him. I couldn't remember the last time I smiled as much. The last time I had felt anything close to this had been when I met Jake. And look what a disaster that had been, I thought bitterly then cursed myself for thinking about him. This trip was meant to be about moving on from the past.

A few times I considered asking Edward for his number but I cursed myself for being too eager. Just because Edward had taken the time to talk to me it didn't mean he was single or even interested in me in that way. Knowing my luck he probably lived in some huge, fashionable house, with a supermodel wife and perfect kids.

Still that didn't stop me from enjoying spending time with him. I lost track of time when I was with him and before I knew it close to half an hour had passed. I'd missed my stop a long time ago but I couldn't have cared less. I stayed just to keep on talking to him.

It was like we were in our own little world and Edward had started suggesting what hidden tourist spots I should visit when the announcement that we would shortly be arriving at the next station caught his attention.

He frowned slightly and looked hesitantly towards the upcoming station. A moment later he looked back at me with a sad expression. I had a feeling I knew where this was going when he started gathering his things.

"Well this is me." He said, confirming my suspicions.

"Oh," I said disappointed as I felt a strange pull at my heart.

I didn't know what else to say. Suddenly I felt all shy and awkward again. I looked up at Edward, his grin vanished and he looked at me intently. We were both silent for a few moments before he finally spoke up and broke the deafening silence.

"I hope you enjoy the rest of your time in New York. I'm sure you will have a great time."

"I'm sure I will." I tried to smile, but inside I was a mess. I couldn't explain it but now that I'd got to know him, all be it briefly, I was devastated at the thought of having to let him go.

Edward faintly smiled at my statement, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. He stood up and looked as though he didn't know what to say. We stared at one another for a long drawn out moment before he spoke.

"So, I guess this is where we say goodbye then..." his voice trailed off.

I felt my heart sink. "Yeah, I guess so," I replied once again trying to hide my disappointment.

My mouth suddenly seemed so dry. We had talked so freely before but now I couldn't seem to get my words out. For the first time it was surprisingly awkward between the two of us yet for some reason we both seemed to be prolonging the torment with idle chit chat

"It was nice to meet you." I finally spoke. " And thanks again for saving me earlier."

"It was my pleasure, Bella. Do you need any help or do you know where you're going from here?" Edward kindly offered, and I smiled at his thoughtfulness.

"I think I can manage without you," I teased. I was too embarrassed to tell him that we'd past my stop a long time ago.

"If you're sure." Edward studied my face for a long moment. He looked like he wanted to say something else. Then he nodded and after a few tense moments he said, "Well goodbye then."

I felt an unfamiliar tightening in my chest, but I quickly batted my disappointment aside. "Goodbye Edward," I said with a lot more emotion than I wanted to show. I offered him a quick smile before I forced myself to look away.

I thought I heard Edward sigh as he started making his way over to the middle of the carriage, but I couldn't be sure. A few moments later I heard the doors open but even then I wasn't brave enough to look up and watch him go. That would have been too painful.

It was only when I was sure the carriage doors had closed that I allowed myself one final look. I craned my neck to see him through the window and I immediately spotted Edward hovering on the platform looking directly at me. We both stared at each other for a long intense moment. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. I wanted so desperately to get off the train and go after him. To get his number, his full name. Something. Anything, that would give me a chance to see him again, but it was already too late. The train had started pulling away from the station.

I saw a look of disappointment on his face which mirrored my own bitter regret. Time seemed to stand still as I sat there staring onto the platform, a sorrowful smile passed over my lips. Tears welled behind my eyes, inexplicably when Edward raised his hand and waved goodbye before the train picked up speed and disappeared around the corner.

Only then did I allow a few stay tears to fall.

Disheartened, I waited until we arrived at the next station before I jump off and made the long and arduous journey back the way I had just come.

Even then I couldn't stop thinking about Edward.

It sounds ridiculous but I felt a connection to him. All the time I was talking to him I thought about the words Angela had spoken to me just a few days ago. 'W_hen the time is right you'll know' _she had said_. _Was that the reason I couldn't stop thinking about Edward?

All the way home I berated myself for being so indecisive and not plucking up the courage to ask for his number. However, I just wasn't confident enought to ask for it. Perhaps it was for the best because no matter how much I wished otherwise, Edward had made no move to ask for my details either.

Regardless, there was no changing it now and it was highly unlikely that I would be bumping into him again any time soon. New York is a big city and I my chances were slim to none. This is real life- not the movies and guys like Edward were one in a million. I had missed my chance. I had to accept that and move on.

* * *

******A/N: Well guys I hope you liked this chapter. Unfortunately this will be my last update ********for a while. I'm off to South East Asia for a few months travelling starting next week. I can't wait:)**

******When I'm back I promise to update more regularly. I know I have a load of stories on the go at the moment so I have started a poll on my profile page of which story/ one shot you'd like me to focus on when I return.**

******So, if you have the time please take a look and vote. I promise that whichever one wins I will update first!**

******Finally, thanks again to everyone who has reviewed, added this story on alert or favourite. I'm glad you like where I'm going with this:) Please keep the reviews coming in.**

******Me x**

******ps: I decided to change the name of this story, if any one was a little confused:)**


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